Rally

    The bring down the (Confederate) flag rally yesterday was quite wonderful. I am assured by people who understand the ins and outs of the General Assembly that actually getting it down will be nearly impossible, but lots of nearly impossible stuff happens every day. Less than 10 years ago, we would have said that about same-sex marriage. The rally was a great feel-good moment, a time to heal and a good start. Hopefully, the next one, July 4th, will be even bigger and will bring results. Considering the weather though and limited publicity, turnout this time was great.
    Sorry if this is extra brain dead; I think the heat is finally catching up to me. I just flat fainted listening to baseball, got up, changed channels to another baseball team (accidentally at that) and fainted again. Granted baseball is soporific, but this is pretty unusual even for me.
    Sadly, the drone only had one more day's flying in it. My rescue trick, for no apparent reason, quit working. Now it skitters along the ground instead of flying. Kind of cute, really, but not too fun. Not to brag about what a doof I am, but I tried to take it apart just to see if there was anything I could clean out that would help. The first 13 screws came out no problem, but #14 didn't want to go. So before we even get to issues with a possible soldering iron, I have issues with a Phillips head screwdriver. (That's 14 out of 26 screws, by the way. Tiny, tiny, tiny screws.) On the other hand, the price is going down; I can always just get another one!

Not quite dead!

    The drone returned from the dead through an embarrassingly simple trick. When I first put the battery in, I'm supposed to sync the remote with the drone by putting both control levers in the bottom right position for a few seconds. When it was a little baby drone, doing this once was adequate. However, after assorted crashes, bumps and bruises, once is not enough. As it turns out, syncing (a very improbable word) it after every flight miraculously brings it very close to normal. Shoot heck darn, not THAT close to normal. It doesn't control as well as before, nor fly as high. It still needs the replacement motors to be soldered in. But it's way more fun than it was yesterday.
    There's a rally today to try once again to get the Army of Northern Virginia flag (usually called the Confederate battle flag) off the State House grounds. It's at 6, by which time it will either be 100 degrees or pouring. Hopefully there will be a good turnout. I can guarantee that one person will be there at least.

I think the tree wants it more than I do

    The auto glass outfit I visited yesterday had a terrific panoramic picture of the Columbia skyline (such as it is). I could never quite decide if it was a photo or a painting. Regardless, a person with common sense would have just taken a picture of it and had done, but dammit, I have a drone! So I went to Canalside, where I should have been able to get the same picture or nearly. (Theirs was taken from roughly the Comfort Suites. Although I enjoy picturing the conversation ("Can I go up on your roof with my drone to take some pictures?") I'm thinking, on the whole, not likely.)
    The drone was flying OK but not great. I tried to get some pictures which was a bad idea because I waited too late to kill the power and flew it right into a tree. Trying to fly it out again made some noise, but did nothing useful. I went home for my fence pole and a folding chair. Hey, it worked once!
    I was pleased that I could reach the drone with the pole once I stood on the chair, but it was a darned leafy tree and didn't want to let go. A fellow was walking by and I said what's in the subject line, explaining that my drone was stuck. He sympathized and steadied the chair for me and when I wasn't making any progress, took over, as he was taller and stronger. And he got it down. I was really grateful and still am. It was great that a perfect stranger helped out with no thought of benefit to himself.
    The bad news is that Drony Maroney won't really fly anymore. When it came down, one motor wouldn't turn at all, but it came back after a while. After that, it would move, but not really get off the ground. This morning was the same. The manual said that you can throw it in the air and start the motors and fly it like that. This does in fact work, but it's just a short wait until the next crash. My wonderful sister yesterday sent a full set of replacement parts, so if I can find somebody with soldering equipment and skills, Drony can be reborn. That's what I call timing!

TMI: glass edition

    One of the things that one hates about living in this place during this era is that the mass shootings just run together. So if I say at this point that I'd like to extend my sympathies to the families of the victims of the mass shooting last night, somebody looking at this a week or a month from now (including me) will just say, "Wait, which one was that?" This was the one where a racist moron with a gun decided to kill nine people at a church bible study in Charleston including a state senator because of the color of their skin. I'm a nobody and few read my blog, but I certainly extend those sympathies nevertheless.
    As to the topic at hand, I had a crack in my windshield. It was on the passenger side, so I thought about letting it slide, but the crack hurt my eyes a good bit when the sun hit it, so I figured I would err on the safer side. When I reported the crack to USAA, I inadvertently lied, saying it was longer than my arm when it was really only a little bigger than my hand. The mind's eyes plays tricks on you, or anyway on me.
    My appointment was at 10 this morning; I arrived early. The technician told me I was looking at a 2 1/2 to 3 hour wait. This was brilliant psychology, because then I was REALLY impressed when I had my car back after an hour. And now I have a really really REALLY clean windshield. This is the TMI part. (You have been warned.) I sing along with the radio or tapes or CDs a LOT. And really loud. Nobody has developed a spit shield for this to the best of my knowledge. So the question is, can I put a lid on it? Can I finally learn how to wipe down the windshield? (Really I've tried, but somehow it never seems to work.) Regardless, it's very clean now; suddenly I don't feel nearly so much like I need new glasses.
    Drone life continues a little sad. Maybe it's the heat, but the toy flies great for maybe five minutes of its battery time, then spends the other few minutes hovering near the ground. Since I have a backup battery, this gives me a total of 10 minutes of good flying and 10 of sad. I'll try again in the morning and see if it helps when it isn't 100 degrees outside. I hope that's it.

Silly silly

    I dreamed the other night I was in some kind of combination of a gym and a locker room. Or to be more precise, it was ostensibly a gym except everyone was sitting on backless benches like a locker room. Everyone was dressed and nobody was doing any exercising to speak of. But somebody needed to be where I was and magically I was suddenly in a parking lot in a small red Toyota which could turn all four wheels sideways and did so to get out of the person's way. And of course now I want a real-life Toyota that can turn all four wheels. Drone related? Could be.
    Meanwhile in real life, on the third straight 100 degree day, Harry the cat continues to stay outside except for meals. I continue to worry about him. I hope he'll be OK. I put water out for him, even putting ice in it, although he was highly bewildered by the latter. I check on him frequently. Fortunately, I have a very shady yard and porch. He mainly just naps and naps but looks fine when he wakes up.
    In drone world, things are less well. Yesterday morning, the drone flew fine. Yesterday evening, for no apparent reason, it flew much less well. I can't figure it. Then again, the replacement cost is $50 or $60 so maybe I need not figure it.

That darn century mark

    The heat wave barely affects me except insofar as it's a good idea to get my daily walk in a lot earlier or, ya know, never, but I do worry about Harry the outside kitty. Fortunately I have a very very shady yard anyway. That may be why he turned up in the first place. Not just that it's shady but tougher on predators from the sky. Harry would rather be out than in regardless of temperature assuming it isn't raining or snowing. I left him a bowl of water and check on him often, but generally I can't cajole him or even carry him in. Well, we both evolved in Africa; I'm hoping that if he thinks he can handle it, he's right.
    All I've got is a steady headache that feels like sinus trouble. Compared to people with troubles, it isn't one but I'd still be delighted to give it up. Delighted I am though that the drone still flies in spite of its wonky rotor. I wish anybody wanted to come out and play with it with me but given the weather, I can see their point of view. I am happy to say though that once the sun sinks behind the trees, it isn't really all that hot. Or maybe I've been hanging with Harry the cat too long.

Too dang hot to blog

    Not really, but it really is too dang hot. Headed for 102 or so they say. As with wintertime, there's a fair degree of solidarity with the rest of the country. Apparently we aren't the only area that's really really hot. What I wasn't used to was 90 degrees by 10 am. Heck, this isn't Phoenix!
    I'm all sad because the drone isn't working as well. One rotor or propeller doesn't turn as well as previously. I'm told that a hair or a blade of grass is wound around the motor but I can see in and can't see anything like that. I can take the whole thing apart easily; what I'm not sure about is whether I can put it back together again. It'll still fly as it is; just not as well. Decisions, decisions.